


Tugging at My Heartstrings

by Tenneo



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: FEELINGS ARE WEIRD, Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, One sided feelings?, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-04-05 12:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14044659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenneo/pseuds/Tenneo
Summary: “Ca-i Xu-kun” Chirped the other, exaggerating the pronunciation of Xukun’s name. “This is a team stage, not a solo stage, so we need to communicate.” Xukun bit back a grimace as Zhengting’s words carried down the hallway. His expression was friendly enough, his tone was pleasant, and his words sounded nothing but supportive. But his eyes hid a darkness in them. Xukun shivered, despite himself, a touch confused.He doesn’t want to make himself look bad on camera.Zhengting continued, sounding as bright and chipper as his first introduction. “Kunkun~~ Maybe you need to relax a bit and let tell me what’s bothering you. Your frame of mind doesn’t seem very good today. Is something distracting you?”The only thing distracting me is you.Cai Xukun is having trouble focusing on practicing. How could you blame him? Zhu Zhenting and his hip tattoo are very distracting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first ever fanfic, let me know if you think it has potential and I might consider continuing it!

 

Cai Xukun’s line of vision flitted downwards again, contemplating if it had been his imagination. However, after careful scrutiny, and a couple of more dance moves that caused Zhengting’s shirt to fly upwards, he decided:  _ Holy crap, Zhu Zhengting has a hip tattoo. _

 

The revelation had him nearly burying his head in his hands, opting instead to lean on Zhou Rui for support as he continued staring at Zhengting because  _ Holy hell who gave Zhu Zhengting permission to be that hot? _ If Xukun hadn’t been so preoccupied in staring at Zhengting, it might have occurred to him that he should be practicing as well, for they didn't have much time left to prepare for the stage. 

 

It took making eye contact with Zhengting to snap Xukun out of it, quickly averting his eyes as an unreadable expression crossed the others face.  _ He’s probably annoyed at me for not being diligent like him. _ He felt a pang of regret at that, as he never wanted to be seen as someone who was negligent. He worked hard for every bit of recognition the National Producers decided to give him. Xukun bounced up, dropping the second earbud back towards Zhou Rui, giving up on his attempt to memorize the lyrics for now. His head was too much of a mess for him to make any headway on that.

 

As Xukun launched into his staggering moves at the start of the routine, his mind drifted back to his teammates, or one in particular.  _ Zhengting. _ Xukun shook his head at his distractedness, blaming Zhengting for wearing a loose shirt that seemed to fly upwards at the slightest movement. Xukun continued his dance, repeating the hand motion a second time. This is where he was comfortable, where he could work on developing his skills. It was set to be a productive practice. That is,  _ if only Zhu Zhengting didn't exist. _ Thoughts of the briefest glimpse he had caught earlier flooded Xukun’s mind, the flash of the tanned skin, the half-covered black ink marking him.  _ What was it? What did it say? What that the letter M I saw? What could possibly be-- _

 

Xukun’s thoughts were interrupted as to his surprise, his feet seemed to tangle with each other, and with a surprised little: ”Oh”, he fell over. 

 

He never hit the floor, and instead found himself supported by a pair of lithe yet strong arms.  _ Why didn’t I fall?  _ His eyes that had he had clenched shut in anticipation of hitting the floor snapped open, and he found himself in very close proximity to Zhu Zhengting’s face. Xukun scrambled to get himself upright, shy at the sudden closeness of the person he had been thinking of just earlier. He quickly extracted himself from the warm arms and uprighted himself, offering a small bow before taking a few steps away. He needed to get some distance between him and Zhengting. It would be embarrassing if the others could make out the faint tinge of pink from under his hat. 

 

Zhengting met Xukun’s nervous gaze with an expression that seemed to be somewhere between a smirk and concern. He glanced over at the other trainees and gestured for them to continue practice. Satisfied with their level of effort, he took Xukun by the elbow and began guiding him towards the door, despite complaints that the younger was fine. 

 

When they reached the hallway, Xukun shook off the gentle yet firm touch.  _ This would be a lot less awkward if Zhengting wasn’t so caring. _ Fighting to keep his expression neutral over the butterflies in his stomach, Xukun stopped and turned to Zhengting. Before he could say anything, Zhengting interrupted.

 

“Ca-i Xu-kun” Chirped the other, exaggerating the pronunciation of Xukun’s name. “This is a team stage, not a solo stage, so we need to communicate.” Xukun bit back a grimace as Zhengting’s words carried down the hallway. His expression was friendly enough, his tone was pleasant, and his words sounded nothing but supportive. But his eyes hid a darkness in them. Xukun shivered despite himself, a touch confused.  _ He doesn’t want to make himself look bad on camera.  _ Zhengting continued, sounding as bright and chipper as his first introduction. “Kunkun~~ Maybe you need to relax a bit and let tell me what’s bothering you. Your frame of mind doesn’t seem very good today. Is something distracting you?”  _ The only thing distracting me is you. _

 

Zhengting threw an arm around Xukun’s shoulders as he said this last bit, causing Xukun to curl inwards on himself. If Zhengting knew what was going through his mind at this moment, he would probably feel a little disgusted, after all,  _ they were presented as one of the biggest rivalries, weren’t they? _ It didn’t make sense that he would be easy to get along with. Wishing to put some distance between Zhengting and his own perplexing feelings, he pushed the heavy arm off his shoulders. “Really, Zhengting-ge.” He mumbled. “I’m fine. I’m sorry for not being focused. I’ll be focused now.”

 

“Hm… Really?” Zhengting questioned, unconvinced. “But if you say so, then we’ll just have to see if you’re telling the truth.” Turning them back towards the room, Zhengting shrugged. “Really, if there’s something wrong, you can tell me. I want to make sure we give a good stage, and if that means having a heart-to-heart with each of you, then I’ll do it.”

 

Xukun bristled at that, ugly feelings being stirred up by the thought of Zhengting guiding Yanchen or Ziyi the same way he had guided Xukun. A warm firm grip, taking them off to who knows where-- Xukun decided to stop himself there, not wanting to flesh out that thought or contemplate what it meant.  _ I’m being ridiculous. _

 

They re-entered the practice room silently, and rejoined the other trainees. Xukun kept his word, and diligently worked on the choreography. But if he noticed Zhengting’s gaze upon him through the practice room’s mirror, or if his intense stare caused Xukun to miss a word or two while singing, neither of them mentioned it.


	2. Chapter 2

Practicing wasn’t something that ought to be such a source of trouble for Xukun, yet here he was again. He hadn’t been having very productive practice sessions lately. And there was only himself and his own distractibility to blame. What was he doing paying attention to his competition when the only thing that mattered, was working his hardest? He would never forgive himself if he fell behind. This show was his personal career-saver.

 

The large hand on the clock slowly made its way past midnight, and many of the dorm lights were beginning to go out, one by one. Sleepy trainees leaving the practice rooms and collapsing into fluffy blankets, falling asleep the second their heads hit the pillows. Xukun wasn’t among those who were already blissfully enjoying a bit of rest.

 

It wasn’t long before the practice room became empty and the only noise Xukun could hear was the squeaking of his sneakers as he went through the motions of the routine, over and over again. Well. it was nearly the only noise he heard. The beat of his footsteps syncing with the music was matched by a second one, only softer as the dancer in question was landing lightly on his feet.

 

Xukun stared straight into the mirror in front of himself, chastising himself whenever he noticed incorrect form or off-beat steps. Once or twice he allowed his eyes to wander to his company in the empty room. Zhengting danced as if it was the only thing in the world he’d like to be doing, and this was probably true. Zhengting’s dance never failed to blow Xukun away.

 

Sweat dripped from his partner as they danced, and Xukun couldn’t help but admire the other’s ability to work hard. It was certainly a trait that Xukun could always use more of. Xukun snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed a cheeky expression on the other’s face. 

 

Through the mirror, Zhengting and Xukun shared a silent stare. Xukun had no idea what it meant, this quiet closeness, and was even more alarmed when Zhengting sat down on the spot. Xukun tore his eyes away from his distraction, but couldn’t focus. He could practically feel the other’s gaze burning into his back. 

 

Xukun stopped to take a sip of water, keeping his face turned away from Zhengting, face redder than simple dance should have made it. This wasn’t to deter the other. Zhengting strutted up to Xukun, leaning on the wall next to him, a pose faintly reminiscent of the last time the two had opportunity to talk to each other.

 

“I still can't get over the difference between onstage you and offstage you.” Zhengting purred in a low voice.

 

“Ex-Excuse me?” stuttered out a shocked Xukun. He had  _ not _ been prepared for Zhengting to come over and talk.

 

“You’re so different. It’s like night and day.”

 

“Really? What do you mean?”

 

“Well let me say it like this. Bangbang is a good example. He's shy and humble off the stage, and on the stage he's exactly like that too, he doesn't go out of his way to seek the spotlight. You, on the other hand, you're a piece of work. Hmm… Center this time kunkun~~?”

 

Xukun turned his eyes down, a nearly imperceptible red hue painting his cheeks. “I’m sorry…” Xukun knew what he was talking about. He liked to show off. On stage, he was overflowing with confidence, cool charisma making sure every single person watching had their eyes absolutely glued to him.  _ Why do I have to be such an attention hog? _ But Xukun couldn’t help it. He absolutely loved for the adrenaline rush, the near ecstasy of performing. It was addictive.

 

“Don’t be sorry.” Xukun’s eyes flashed upwards to stare quizzically into Zhengting’s. What he saw there made some of his innermost thoughts bubble to the surface. He once again struggled to squash his feelings down, but  _ that look _ in Zhengting’s eyes made it difficult. Zhengting stared, a feverish look that made Xukun nervous, in a good way. “It’s sort of…. Hot.” Zhengting murmured, an eyebrow cocked as his smoldering gaze matched Xukun’s apprehensive one. 

 

Xukun could felt his breath catch in his throat, and suddenly couldn’t handle the intensity of the moment any more. Ducking his head, Xukun turned and ran from Zhengting. On the way out the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the practice room mirror. Absolutely red cheeks flamed in his reflection, turning him into a tomato. Xukun winced when he saw his reflection.  _ That’s what Zhengting saw this whole time? How embarrassing.  _ As Xukun’s mind churned, he quickly made it from the training rooms and back to his dorm. He stumbled in, not even bothering to turn on the light and flopped down on his bed. He let out a loud groan into his pillow, ignoring the complaints from his sleepy roomates.

 

He could have laid there in the dark for five, ten, fifteen minutes, but as still as his body was, his heart would not stop pounding. He flipped onto his back and stared at the bottom of the bunk bed above him. He turned what had just happened over in his mind, trying to examine it from a logical angle.  _ What had just happened? _ Xukun bit his lip in confusion, the pain sharpening his mind and allowing him to think as the blush drained from his cheeks. 

 

Zhenting. The person who Xukun personally considered his biggest rival and threat on this show.  _ So why are we acting like this?  _ Nothing made sense anymore. If Xukun had the seen that particular expression on Zhengting’s face even a week ago, he would have seen nothin but malice, irritation, or perhaps jealousy. But now? Xukun recalled the way Zhengting had been staring at him in the mirror again, heavy lidded eyes travelling up and down his body in a way that made him shiver in-- what?  _ What was that feeling? _ Not disgust. Certainly it wasn’t feelings of distaste towards the other trainee. Xukun swallowed a heavy lump in his throat as he considered. Anticipation? Desire?

 

Whatever it was, it was unknown territory to Xukun, and that scared him. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i threw this chapter together after i found out what Zzt's hip tattoo said. And hooo boy is that tattoo ever a doozy. I wonder how xukun would react? Hopefully I can progress this story to that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch is an event apparently

  
It was with mild concern that Xukun pushed some of his rice onto his seat neighbor’s plate. A short trainee sat beside him, a measly portion of green beans and chicken sitting sad and lonely on the large plate. _What was his name again?_ The other had been placed in a different team from him, and the only time he'd noticed the other was during the competition for center, and the skilled high notes causing twinges of jealousy for the others voice.

But skills weren't something that necessarily had anything to do with personality, so when Xukun had found himself standing up with his lunch in a cafeteria with rapidly dwindling empty seats, he did not hesitate to slide into the last spot at the end of the table. Xukun leaned forward and looked down the table, curious to see if there was anyone at the table he was familiar with.

Apathetically, Xukun realized he was at a table that was predominantly one company, a fact made more obvious through the constant and companionable chatter. _Banana trainees, was it?_ Not minding much, he dug into his food quietly, until he noticed his seat partner and his pitiful meal quantity.

Despite the short dude’s protests, Xukun made sure he didn't go dump the extra food out, and decided to use the interaction as headway into making conversation. “I'm Cai Xukun. What's your name?”

The other’s reaction was less than enthusiastic. “Yeah. I know.” grimaced the other. “I'm not sure why you sat here when you should be over there with the other high ranks.”

Xukun was slightly taken aback. _Why would that affect where he was going to sit?_ He turned around to see where the other had glumly pointed. Sitting at a table that was nearly half the room away was the other trainees in his team. _Oh, he's right. Why didn't I sit there?_ PPAP team A sat, as well as some of the Yuehua company, probably due to the overlap of people between those two groups.

And there lay the problem. Xukun’s eyes widened quickly as he realized one of the people at the table happened to be looking at him. Making eye contact was brief, but it was like being caught shoplifting to Xukun, he whipped around so that Zhengting wasn't making the dreaded stare into his eyes anymore, and decided to continue talking with his seat partner.

It was with slight dismay that he met with a knowing grin on the man’s face. “Ah, I get it~~” He smirked. “My name’s Zhangjing, and if you ever need love advice, you know where to find me~~”

Xukun gawked at the audacity the other was displaying, but a blush crept up his neck from having his thoughts practically read like that. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” Xukun snapped, a brusque tone colouring his voice to discourage any more discussion.

But Zhangjing wasn't to be deterred. “You can hide a lack of confidence, you can project a powerful stage aura, but one thing you could never hide is that silly look on your face.” Zhangjing turned and pointed at Zhengting who currently seemed to be strangling Justin. “You think he's the only one who notices the way you stare constantly? I'm surprised the staff hasn't told you off yet.”

Xukun felt like burying his head under a rock, but since he still had some food left to eat, he just hunched down and shovelled the salty meat into his mouth. Zhangjing finished up and got up from beside him, and it was hardly a minute before Xukun was sitting alone at the table. Even the rest of the cafeteria filtered out, leaving an empty and echoing room. He let out a sigh of of relief and allowed himself to relax, mind churning over the teasing. A handsome yet beautiful face drifted in his mind as he thought about Zhangjing’s words. _Now what on earth did Zhangjing mean by ‘he notices’ --_

Xukun’s thoughts were interrupted as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he startled, throwing his fork to the floor, where it bounced, skittering away from him.

Xukun froze.

He knew somehow, without even looking, that the owner of that hand was literally the worst person to face at the moment.

“Hm?” Hummed a warm voice. “And what's darling Kunkun up to today?”

Xukun refused to turn his face towards the personal space invader, but pushed his plate away and got up. His shoulder felt hot from where Zhengting had laid his hand. Walking quickly to the plate collection counter, Xukun ran things through his head. _Zhengting. Here? With no one else to stop whatever could happen from happening._ Xukun nervously turned it in his mind. _Why would Zhengting come over to him when they weren't practicing? There was no real reason. Unless…_

Xukun steeled himself as the light footsteps neared him for the second time. He wasn't about to get caught off guard. Zhengting grabbed his wrist, seemingly to turn him around and face him, and Xukun was having nothing of it. With a whirlwind of motion, Xukun whipped around and threw a punch right at Zhengting’s face, knowing the other would likely back off if he knew there was a chance his appearance would be marred.

What Xukun hadn't counted on, of course, was the agility of the other boy. With a light step, Zhengting dodged the punch, a perplexed expression on his face, and caught Xukun's arm to prevent him from attacking anymore. Xukun panicked, pulling his arm back, but for some reason Zhengting held on, and off balance, the two were sent sprawling to the floor, one on top of the other.

"We've fallen for each other, it seems."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, falling and landing on top of each other is one of my favourite tropes
> 
> Also kunkun why are you tryna fite your crush. Sounds like something I'd do
> 
> Any of you want to come chat with me and other fans of IP/Nine Percent?
> 
> [Please join our serVEr](https://discord.gg/ncuUgVW)
> 
> Please join we're nice


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